Early Church Fathers Scripture Index : Texts

1 Samuel 24:17

There is 1 footnote for this reference.

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 11, page 509, footnote 4 (Image)

Chrysostom: Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistle to the Romans

The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans (HTML)

Homily XXII on Rom. xii. 14. (HTML)

CCEL Footnote 1553 (In-Text, Margin)

... evil.” For he knew that if the enemy were a very brute, he would not continue an enemy when he had been fed. And if the man injured be of ever so little a soul, still when feeding him and giving him to drink, he will not himself even have any farther craving for his punishment. Hence, out of confidence in the result of the action, he does not simply threaten, but even dwells largely upon the vengeance. For he did not say, “thou shalt take vengeance” but, “thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head.”[1 Samuel 24:17] Then he further declares him victor, by saying, “be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” And he gives a kind of gentle hint, that one is not to do it with that intention, since cherishing a grudge still would be “being overcome of ...